Ultimately I was disappointed, but it did provide a lot of insight into Cavil's and Tyrell's actions and particularly into Boomer's behaviour in SE1. However, it didn't get into the activities or the motivations of the Final Five at all, which was what I had been hoping for. It was worth watching but as ever with BSG it left me wanting way more answers than it provided.

Some of the comments over at TwoP include bitching about the use of clips from previous epis, but as The Plan essentially told the story of SE1 and 2 from the Cylon point of view I didn't have a problem with that. I actually like the alternative perspective as a device.

It was strange watching all the characters back on screen again--took me back to when I was obsessed with this show. I am reminded that I was watching it during an otherwise stressful time, which may explain said obsession, although I prefer to think I was simply appreciating a (mostly) excellent programme...

Saw the Caprica pilot last night. I have bigger expectations of The Plan but both the mister and I were pleasantly surprised by Caprica; there's good continuity on the significance of worshipping the 'one true god' without overstating it. The pilot essentially shows the beginnings of the development of cylons which was cool. There were a couple of corny moments but overall it was well done and Eric Stoltz is good as ever. I'm looking forward to seeing the series, presuming it gets made.

"what a swell farewell party! we said goodbye to everything, including the lining in my stomach." - garvey, from the film, born bad

"That's one career all females have in common, whether we like it or not: being a woman. Sooner or later, we've got to work at it, no matter how many other careers we've had or wanted." --margo channing, all about eve

rose you slay me.... kennedy hair....heh.... but i know with that accent... i never knowed.

kitten, i'll miss roslin, i have the biggest crush on mary mcdonnell, and have for some time.

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"what a swell farewell party! we said goodbye to everything, including the lining in my stomach." - garvey, from the film, born bad

"That's one career all females have in common, whether we like it or not: being a woman. Sooner or later, we've got to work at it, no matter how many other careers we've had or wanted." --margo channing, all about eve

On a less high-quality note, I will also miss Helo and his m'fing abs for days!, Lee's big fluffy hairdo, the way that every peice of paper was cut into that shape that I can't remember the name of, and the thrill of fear that the Centurions always gave me.

Yes, the pseudo-octogonal paper! And picture frames! And even books! I never quite understood that. Is that a holdover from the original series? Lee's puffy hair cracked me up ("I am a politician now, therefore I must develop Kennedy Hair."), but nothing messed with my brain more than when I watched the Last Frackin' Special and found out that he has an English accent in real life. I never would have guessed that! As for Helo's abs, don't fret! You can see them occasionally on Dollhouse.

I'm rather surprised that they decided to spread out the population all over the globe as quickly as they did. I hope they educated themselves on survival techniques - hunting, gathering, farming, medicine, basic construction - during those years of floating about in space.

Yeah, that was my biggest problem with the ending. It felt like a slow suicide for the human race. Or like something from a Douglas Adams novel. But what do I know? Maybe they just studied the natives and copied what they did.

I had heard that the finale ended with a big "....?..." and I was not dissapointed that it was true. Many thanks to Hulu and the Sci-Fi Channel website for keeping the episodes up so long, BTW. I really appreciate that. I don't have a ton to say about the way the show ended that hasn't already been said. It kind of felt like a big glorious mess of action and religious imagery. I didn't get a lot of it and I don't like the idea of Head Caprica and Head Baltar being some kind of immortal and judgemental angels. That being said, I am going to miss this show! I will miss Roslin and her airlock and Starbuck and Katee Sachoff's burning intensity. Seriously, everytime I doubted an actor's talent on that show, I had to judge how well they could perform next to Sachoff. She burned through some of the lesser actors. I will also miss Gaeta and Ellen who gave some great performances through the whole show.

On a less high-quality note, I will also miss Helo and his m'fing abs for days!, Lee's big fluffy hairdo, the way that every peice of paper was cut into that shape that I can't remember the name of, and the thrill of fear that the Centurions always gave me.

and i noticed those problems too, rose, and there were filler episodes in the 2nd and 3rd seasons, but they never seemed as glaring as when they try to use them to wrap the show up. i don't mind the deus ex machina swinging in and fixing things, but when you can see all of the rigging, and it's just naked carelessness, then it's like you aren't respecting your audience, and it was such a great show in so many ways, for it to go out like that.... it just marred everything else, you know?

Most of us can forgive an occasional filler episode, but there's only so much you should have to tolerate.

I think I'm more forgiving because I just started watching this show last month. I finished the box sets & started watching the show in real time just a few weeks ago, so I have not been dedicated to this show for years and years like so many fans. People who've dedicated that much time and energy to it - who've had to wait through the writer's strike & the long lull between seasons - have more right to expect more from the show than I do.

GT, I've noticed inconsistencies throughout the whole run of the series. I suppose that's why I didn't mind so much when that continued in the finale. For example. at one point when Rosalin's cancer was getting particularly bad, they injected her with the blood of a Cylon hybrid fetus (Hera). Her cancer went away. So when the cancer came back, why didn't they treat her with Hera's blood again? Why didn't they at least try it? I don't remember it even being mentioned as a possibility.

More than any of that Jesus/Resurrection business, this bugged me. Is there any explanation? Was it only a one time thing that they could do? If not, why didn't they do it again?! She could have lived happily ever after with Bill Adama

i don't think there's anything wrong with calling her a jesus figure as far as the show goes, it's the most plausible explination, IMHO, but the problem is, that when you go back and use that as a template, to see if it rings true, there are problems with it, problems that could have been easily remedied, but weren't. the annoying thing is, it's still the best theory going, and with that it makes the rest of it look really sloppy. i was using cool hand luke as the model, because it uses the christ figure in a way that is concealed, and you can ignore it, but if you want to make a case for it, there is ample evidence that was the author's intent. that's the way it should be done. but this sort of thrown together, half baked, half thought out sort of thing, just bugs me. lol.... but i'm like that, you've seen my rants about inconsistent narrators in film, and the right and wrong way to do it. this is what i live for. if i didn't get my panties in a knot about this, well, i might as well give up the ghost...heh.

and i noticed those problems too, rose, and there were filler episodes in the 2nd and 3rd seasons, but they never seemed as glaring as when they try to use them to wrap the show up. i don't mind the deus ex machina swinging in and fixing things, but when you can see all of the rigging, and it's just naked carelessness, then it's like you aren't respecting your audience, and it was such a great show in so many ways, for it to go out like that.... it just marred everything else, you know?

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"what a swell farewell party! we said goodbye to everything, including the lining in my stomach." - garvey, from the film, born bad

"That's one career all females have in common, whether we like it or not: being a woman. Sooner or later, we've got to work at it, no matter how many other careers we've had or wanted." --margo channing, all about eve

Just so you know, I'm not saying that Starbuck IS Jesus. It was just my way of saying that she'd been resurrected - like Jesus or Lazarus. With all of the religious themes that run trough this show, it didn't feel far fetched to me. I don't think Starbuck herself is any more holy than anyone else, though. She simply had an important role to play - like so many others. She was destined to figure out the coordinates from the song. She was brought back in order to do that. Does it seem kinda silly that the Powers That Be would create a whole new ship for her to fly? I suppose, but it's not any more silly than creating a new body.

GT, I've noticed inconsistencies throughout the whole run of the series. I suppose that's why I didn't mind so much when that continued in the finale. For example. at one point when Rosalin's cancer was getting particularly bad, they injected her with the blood of a Cylon hybrid fetus (Hera). Her cancer went away. So when the cancer came back, why didn't they treat her with Hera's blood again? Why didn't they at least try it? I don't remember it even being mentioned as a possibility.

I think that was my problem with the finale GT... I expected the same complexity or ambiguity in the answers provided at the end as we saw in the series as a whole. Which in retrospect was unrealistic: you can only do so much in 2 hours, especially with the expectations of thousands of fanatical fans weighing on the result...

The coda set in our present was nicely ambiguous, but the Caprica and Gaius 'angels' had lost any semblance of personality and were just being smug and omniscient IMO.

On Starbuck=Jesus, my mister came up with the same theory (how appropriate for Easter!) I can't see it though; Starbuck, even Starbuck reborn, was pretty visceral. I think she was guided/resurrected by larger forces to input those coordinates by a greater force, but once it was done so was she.

Typing that last I'm realising what my niggling problem with the finale is; it's impossible to descibe mch of what happened without reverting to spiritual language. I was all into the mysticism during the show but the way it got all pastoral and somehow over-simplified left me disappointed. Still liked the first hour though.

I'm hoping The Plan tells us what happened after they operated on Starbuck on Caprica way back in season 2...

I agree that BSG was about the characters, and when it focused on them it did really well. But the plotting could be dreadful at times. Dropped ideas, wandering focus, lack of direction, these are the biggest problems I've had with the show over the years.

that's about how i felt.

and this bugs the fuck out of me:

QUOTE

Do the answers really matter? It's an imaginary story. It's a magician's trick. It's not about the Macguffin, it's about moving the pieces and getting a good game going. It can't last forever. In the end, it may fall apart like a house of cards. Doesn't mean it wasn't a good game while it lasted.

absolutely the answers matter. it goes to the quality of the show. think about it like a radio-- does it count if it just looks like a radio? does it count just cos it's got the nobs and the light that lights up when you push the power button? or does it matter if you can actually get reception and hear radio stations? the thing about the best art, the best film is that the story is given form has a meaning, and is not some hack throwing things in just cos he felt like it. that there is some reason behind it. don't get me wrong, i love ambiguity in a story, something to debate, and take apart. that's the fun of it, that you've found a gem that can stand up to multiple meanings, and there is a there there... but if the beams won't hold up the ceiling... why walk in the house? why waste our time? all i ask for is consistancy. that if you make a decision, there be a reason for it, that it not just be sloppy, and you've put some thought into it. that my investment in time, that my passion is respected.

that thought, that care to put the "goods" in the story is what separates the wheat from the chaffe, the stories that will stand the test of time and the stories that will fade after all the hoopla is gone.

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"what a swell farewell party! we said goodbye to everything, including the lining in my stomach." - garvey, from the film, born bad

"That's one career all females have in common, whether we like it or not: being a woman. Sooner or later, we've got to work at it, no matter how many other careers we've had or wanted." --margo channing, all about eve

Great article stargazer - I think it sums up how I felt about the episode quite well. I like how he says that there's no rational response for Starbucks' disappearance - it's true - you just have to draw your own conclusions on that one I suppose.

Last night while I was cooking, I had a revelation: Starbuck wasn't an angel. She was Jesus!Part of her destiny meant that she would die on old Earth, but after she crashed there, the Powers That Be chose to resurrect her in a new body (since the old one was burned up) and send her back in order to fulfill her mission. Once she was done, she disappeared. Just like Jesus! That's why everyone could see her. It all makes sense!

I was saying something along the same lines - but my boyfriend is all like - was her ship and angel/jesus too???? He refuses to believe that she could be an angel or sent from god because she flew back in an actual ship. He just refuses to suspend his disbelief even a little - which gets very annoying!

I thought that it was a good final episode. I have hated Baltar all through the series, until the finale, where he decided to stay behind and fight. Took long enough, but finally I liked him. Also, I have despised Helo throughout the whole series - he's just such a tool, I was shocked/kind of disappointed when he didn't die - not gonna lie.

Overall I think they tied it together pretty well. Although there seems to be controversy over the whole Starbuck issue. Some people on my bf's forums are saying maybe she was a "Head Character" like Caprica Six, but for everyone involved... I dunno.